Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Sep 2013
Review Meta AnalysisHandover of patients: a topical review of ambulance crew to emergency department handover.
Handover has major implications for patient care. The handover process between ambulance and emergency department (ED) staff has been sparsely investigated. The purpose of this paper is, based on a literature review, to identify and elaborate on the major factors influencing the ambulance to ED handover, and to bring suggestions on how to optimize this process. ⋯ The handover of patients to the ED has the potential to be improved. Cultural issues and a lack of professional recognition of handover importance need to be approached. Multidisciplinary training in combination with a structured tool may have a potential for changing the culture and improving handover.